Hairpin-forming machine and method of forming hairpins



w. H. HERMSDORF. HA-IRPINFORMING MACHINE AND METHOD OF FORMING HA APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 19!?- IRPINS. 1,410,675.

10 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

W.,'H. HERMSDORF. HAIBPIN FORMING MACHINE AND METHOD OF FORMING HAIBPINS.

I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. I917. 1,410,675. Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

10 SHEETS-SHEFI' 2.

W. H. HERMSDORF. HAIRPIN FORMING MACHINE AND ME'THOD 0F FORMING HAIBPINS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1917.

1,410,675. Patented Mar. 28,1922.

10 $HEETSSHEET 3-- W. H. HERMSDORF. HAIRPIN FORMING MACHINEANDM ETHOD 0F FORMING HAIRPINS. APPLlCATlON FILED FEB.3,19I7.

1 ,41 0, 6'75 Patented Mar- 28, 1922.

l0 SHEETS SHEET 4.

. W. .H. HERMSDORF. HAIRPIN FORMING MACHINE AND METHOD OF FORMING HAIBPINS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3,1917- 1,4 1Q,675 v v Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

10 $HEETSSHEET 5- W. H. HERMSDORF. HAIRPIN FORMING MACHINE AND METHOD OF FORMING HAIRPINS.

. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3,19]?- 1,419,675

Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

10 SHhETS-SHEET 6- W. H. HERMSDORF. HAIRPIN FORMING MACHINE AND METHOD OF FORMING HAIRP INS.

I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3,1917- 1,410,675.

Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

I0 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

9w 6 I IIDIJII ll f I \vlllllllll 1 a n. ,6 a 6 w H A l 4 I if w I 1 Q: n z x I n \U l C W. H. HERMSDORF. HAIRPIN FORMING MACHINE AND METHOD OF FORMING HAIBPINS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-3.19M.

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Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

w. H. HERMSDORE. HMRPIN FORMI NG'MACHINE AND METHOD OF FORMING HAIRPI'NS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 3.1917- a 2M n w m m d i.

w. H HERMSDORF. HAIRPIN FORMING MACHINE ANDIIIETHOD 0F FORMING HAIRPINS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. I9]?- WALTER H. nnmasnonr; or CHICAGO, rLLiivors, ASSIGNOR 'ro semi/ 11 GOLDBERG, or cirrcnso, ILLINOIS.

HAIRPIN LFORMING MACHINE AND METHOD OF FORMING HAIRPINS.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 28,1922

Application filed February 3, 1917. Serial No. 146,319.

To all whomit may canoe-m:

Be it known that I, lVAL'rnn I-I. Harms This invention relates to hairpin forming. machines and method of forming hairpins.

and refers more particularly to an improved .machine and method of forming completed hairpins from rolls or other continuous supplies of wire or the like.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide an improved construction and method whereby the material from which the hairpin or similar article is to be formed is fed forward and automatically severed and formed into the completed article; to so con'-,

struct and arrangethemechanism that thehairpins or other articles are accurately formed without the requirement of any par ticular skill upon the part of the operator of the machine; to provide a machine having-"a very large capacity sothat a-large nu-mberof hairpins can be formed each minute; to so simplify the mechanism and its various feeds that a single operator can take care of a large number ofmachines'; to providea construction having a continuous feed, that is, in which the wire is fed forward at the same rate of speed and automatically severed into predetermined lengths; to provide-a novel cutting mechanismwhich is timed in relation to the feed-so as to produce blanks of the desired length irrespective of variations in the speed atwhich the mechanism is driven; to provide a construction which can be readily changed or adjusted to sever the wire or other material into blanks of any particular length within the capacity of themachine; to provide a novel feeding mechanism whereby the rough or uneven severed ends of the blank are automatically rounded and smoothed off as the severed blank is fed forward; to pro,-

vide a construction in which the blank will be automatically bent to form legs of sub stantially equal length connected by a perfectly rounded head; to provide a construction in which the feeding mechanism of the pin during its various forming operations is positive in action; to utilize a portion of the feeding mechanism as a co-operating part 111 the mechanism for forming crimps or other indentations in the pin or other article to be formed; to provide a construction wherein the wire as it is fed forward from the reel or other source of supply is automatically straightened and the entire straightening, severing, bending, crimping and feeding mechanisms can be controlled by a single lever; to so arrange a grinding and polishing mechanism that it can be driven at a relatively high speed and independent of the other mechanisms if desired; and in general to provide a new and improved machine and method for forming hairpins or other articles of either a simple or complicated form from supplies of wire or the like.

The invention also resides in such details o-f construction and arrangements and comblnations of parts as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Inthe drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of part of the mechanism of machine embodying my invention; r

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the construction shown in F ig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view on the line of Fig. 1, parts being omitted for the sake of clearness.

Fig. i is a cross sectional fragmentary view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

- Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view partly in section and partly in elevation of the cutting and transferring mechanism.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view with parts omitted, of the mechanism for transferring from'the'disk feed to the chain feed.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the guide member mechanism taken on the line 7--7 ofFig; 6, with parts omitted.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged side elevational view showing the manner of bending the pin.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevational view of the crimping mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a sectional View on the line 1010 of Fig. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail View of the final transferring mechanism.

Describing now in detail the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the mountedthe main drive shaft 3 driven from a belt shaft 4, to which it can be connected or disengaged by means of a clutch 5 operated by a lever-'6 and rock arm mechanism 7. Mounted on the main shaft 3 is a belt wheel 8, over which the belt 9 extends and drives a corresponding belt wheel 10 mounted 011 a main mechanism operated shaft 11. From this latter shaft, there are driven a plurality of mechanisms asfollows:

On the opposite end of the shaft ll, from the belt wheel 10 is a gear 12, themovement of which is transmitted through an idler gear 13, to a gear 14; mounted on the stub shaft 15, which shaft carries the feeding roll 16. The cooperating friction roll 17 presses the wire against the feeding roll 16, thus causing the wire upon the rotation of the feed roll 16 to be drawn upward. The wire thus drawn through the feeding rolls is first passed through a wire straightening mechanism 18, into which it is fed through a conduit 19 from a roll or other suitable source of supply (not shown). As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the straightening mechanism 18 comprises a plurality of groups of straighteners 2,0, so distributed around the wire as to straighten it-as it is pulled through by the feeding rolls. From the upper end of the feeding rolls, the wire is forced through a conduit 21, having at its upper end a restricted opening 29, at which point the wire is severed by the cutting mechanism, the construction and ope 'ation of which cutting inechanism is as follows: 40

liiiounted on the mainmechanism operatmg shaft ll 1S3 bevelled pinion 23 ineshlng with a bevelled gear 24.011 the vertical shaft 25. Bolted or otherwise secured to the bevelled gear 2% is a gear 26. Bymeans' of an idler gear 27, the lljlQVQlllellll of the gear 26 1S transmitted to a small gear 28. cut into i the end of the stub shaft :29, which carries the cutter disk 30. The latter has one or more cutting knives 81, arranged to engage the portion of the wire at the restricted opening 22, and thus sever it whileit is held in rigid position.

The straightened and severed blank 32 is now ready for the polishing, bending 7 it past the polishing mechanism. in. detail,

the feed of the wire after it is severed isas follows: Mounted on the shaft is a pair of disks 33 and 34, secured by suitable mechanism such as the pins 35 and 36 to the shaft 25 and arrangedto rotate upon theshaft. On their outer peripheries, the disks and 3-1, carry a series of pins 31' and 38 which project into the path of the severed blank 32. Between the disks 33 and 3a is positioned a second pair of disks 39 and a0, which are freely rotatable upon the shaft 25 but bolted or otherwise secured to a sprocket wheel 41, driven by a chain e2 in a manner hereinafter described and the speed of the sprocket wheel ll is so proportioned to the speed of the shaft 25 that the disks 89 and 40 are driven at higher speed than the disks 33 and 3 f, preferably a three to one drive. It will be noticed inl ig. 5, that the disks 39 and 40 are of slightly greater diameter than the disks and 3a sothat while the pins 37 and 38 carry the severed blank 32 forward, they are also operated upon by the surfaces of the disks 89 and 40. Also Figs. 3 and 8 show the manner in which the severed'blank 32 has its ends a3 and ie confined between spacing or POSl.

axis while it is being moved forward. It

is while the pin is thus rotated, that its ends are operated upon by'the-grinding' or abrading rolls and 51, which grind and polish the ends of the blank. VVhile the operating rolls 50 and 5l could be driven from the main operating shaftll, in the present construction they are shown as-driven from an electric motor 52, and driving belt 53 mountedjnpon a suitable standard Maud controlled by a switch 55. Theseoperating' rolls are preferably driven at'a very high rate of speed so that during the short time the pin is pa-ssing across their surface, the ends are completely rounded. 5 V

After the blank has been straightened, severed and its ends rounded as above described, it is carried forward 'and-transferred to a mechanism which carries it through the bending operatlons as follows:

After leaving the plane of the friction plate 48, the blank 32 is guided, by plates 56 and 57 and felt faced are shaped members 58 and: 59- to the transferring mechanism shown in'detail'm Figs. 6 and 7. As shown in Fig. ('5, a pair ofrock arms 60 havingcurved surfaces 61, are pivotally mounted on a shaft 62and normally 'held' in the position shown in Fig. 6, by means of a spring.

623 and arm 64. Thus as the pin blank 32 is carried forward, it strikes against the curved surfaces 61 of the arms 60 and rock the latter back against the tension of the spring 63. hen, however, the pin blank reaches the end of the guidemember 65, the spring actuated arm willforce it away from the disk are shaped members which have been carrying it and transfer it into the slot 66. The blank 32 is now so positioned that it will be engaged by the forward pin 67 ofa series ofpins carried by the traveling belt or, carrier 42. The pin 67 and its co-operating pins 68 are arranged in sets, each of which sets is carried by a block 69. These'blocks are provided with projecting ears or lugs 70, which are 'pivotally fastened to a chain 42 by means of bolts '71. These bolts also extend through spacer links '72 and 73, which serve to hold the pin carrying blocks in the proper spaced relation irrespective of the degree of tightness of the chain forming carrier 42. To facilitate the links making the sharp turns necessary to travel around the sprocket 7 wheel, they are preferably provided at one end wlth slots Yet, through which the bolts extend. For accurately positioning the blocks 69, during the period when they are carrying the pin through the bending operation, the blocks 69 are provided with pins 7 5 and 76 projecting over the opposite sides of-the blocks 69, moving in guideways 77 and 78 formed in a guide block 7 9. The latter is supported upon suitable standards 80 and8l,- whichare part.

of the end castings and-as the chain is returning on the opposite side, it is supported I by a guideway 82.. The sprocket chain' 12 is formed as an endless belt passing around the sprocket wheel 41 and a sprocket wheel 83 positioning near the other end of the plate, The last mentioned sprocket wheel 83 is keyed or otherwise fixed to a stub shaft 841, which is driven from the main mechanism operating shaft 11, by means of bevelled gears 85 and 86. V

After the pin blank 32 has been transferred into the slot 66, and engaged by the pin '67, it is then carried forward by the chain mechanism until it .reaches the plane of the inclined surfaces 87 and 88, which serve to center the pin just prior to its bending operation. After the pin has been centered by the inclined surfaces 87 and 88, the further movement of the chain carrier will draw thepin between the arms 89 and 90, which are inclined towards the opening 91, through which the pin is carried after its central portion has been bent over the rounded surfaces of the pin 67 and its nds moved down to form substantial parallel legs 92 and 93. connected by the rounded head portion 94.. To insure the leg portions of the pin being moved into proper-position a'tthe time of the crimping operation, supplemental guide or holding members 95 and 96 carried by pivoted arms 97 and 98, and

normally spring pressed inward by springs.

99 and 100 are employed. After passing through the supplemental guides or positioning members 95 and 96, the pin is now in position to have the crimps 101 and 102 formed in the legs 92 and 93 respectively. The pins 68 on the blocks 69 are preferably utilized as part of the crimping mechanism, co-operating with a pair of rolls 103 and 10%, mounted upon shafts 105 and 106 and driven from the mainmechanism operating shaft 11 by means of sets of bevelled gears 10?, 108, 109, 110, 111 and 112 and intermeshing gears 113 and 114. At equi-distant points around the periphery of the wheels 103 and. 10a are located a plurality of crimping projections 115 and 116, which co-operate with the pins 68 to crimp the legs of the hairpin in the manner shown in detail in Fig. 9. These crimping projections 115 and 116 are carried by a pluralit of separate plates 117 and 118 detachably secured to the rolls 103 and 10a respectively so as to permit of the removal of the lates and substitution of plates having di erent formed and positioned projections, thus allowing variations in the product. The completed pin is now automatically transferred to a discharge carrier or belt chain 119, over which the completed pins are carried to a japanning oven, storage or other suitable device. The detailed construction of the mechanism for transferring the completed pin from the blocks 69 to the hooks 1.20 of the delivery belt 119, is as follows:

Positioned-in the path of the blocks 69 is a stripper member 121, having an inclined edge 122, against which the completed pin strikes, causing the latter to be raised off from the pins-67 and 68 and carrying the head portion onto the hooks 120. In order to secure the placing of a hook 120 in proper position to receive the pin removed by the stripper member, means have been provided for driving the final delivery belt 119 in timed relation to the pin forming mechanism. This drive is obtained from the stub shaft 8% by means of a pinion'123, idler gears 12% and a gear on the shaft 126, which carries the. delivery chain sprocket wheel 127. Suitable adjusting and guiding sprocln et wheels 128 and 129 are provided for the delivery chain or belt 119. This chain 119 is an endless belt and as previously stated is extended to any suitable point of discharge, (not shown).

From the above description, it will be apparent that the entire operations of feeding, straightening, severing, grinding, positioning, crimping and discharging the blank are all automatically performed and the entire operation controlled by a single lever or lever and switch arrangement so that the cost of production is minimized and an' accurately formed product obtained. Various changes, however, can be made in the details of construction and in the arrangements and combinations a-ndoperations of the parts within the-scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

7 1. In a machine for forming hairpins or the like,-the combination with means for feeding forward a wire blank, including a blockhaving a head forming member adapted to engage the blanksubstantially mii'lway ofits ends and at right angles to the axis of the blank, of two guide members angularly disposed to the travel of the blank, the sides of said guide members adapted to contact with the endsof the blank and bend it about the head forming member while said blank is being fed forward.

2. In a machine for forming hairpins or the like, the combination of feeding and severing mechanism with a rotatable member adapted to receive a length of wire as it comes from the severing mechanism, and a series of members adapted to receive the length of wire advance it through forming operations while in a substantially vertical position.

3. In a machine for making hairpins, the combination with means for continuously feeding forward a wire, ofa wire straightener through-which the wire is drawn when being fed, a. restricted opening through which the wire is fed, and cutting mechanism for cutting the wire into predetermined hair;

' pin lengths, directly adjacent .the portion held in the restricted opening;

4. In a: machine for making hairpins, the combination with means for continuously feeding forward a wire, of means associated with the feeding mechanism for automatically severing the wire into blanks of predetermined length and means for feeding forward the blank so severed while the blanks are held in a vertical position.

In a machine for making hairpins, the combination with means for contimiously feeding forward a wire, of means associated with the feeding mechanism for automati cally severing the wire into blanks of predetern'iined length, means for feeding forward the blank so severed while'the same are held in a vertical position, and automatically bending the ends of the blank to produce a partially formed hairpin as it is fed forward.

6. In a machine-for making hairpins or the like. the combination with means for continuously feedin a wire, of means associated with the feeding mechanism for automatically severing the wire into blanks of predetermined length, and polishing mechanism for operating on the severed ends of the blanks.

' 7. In a machine for making hairpins or the like, the con'ibination with means for feeding; forward a hairpin blank, of means for grinding-the opposite ends of the blank and means for rotating the hairpin blank axially during the grinding operation in such a manner as to produce a predetcr-' mined form of rounded end to the end of said blank.

S. In a machine for making hairpins or the like, the combination with means for severing the wire into blanks of predetermined length, of a rotary member for feed ing forward'the blanks so formed, mechanism for grinding rounded ends on said blanks and rotary member directly associated with the grindingmechanism operating on the blanks and adapted to rotate it axially in predetermined relation to the grinding mechanism while subjected to the grinding mechanism.

' 9. In a machine for making hairpins or the like, the combination with means for severing wire into blanks of predetermined length, of a rotary feed member for the blank having projecting peripheral points adapted to engage the severed blank at a plurality of places and'feed the blank-forward. V

10. In a'machine for making hairpins, the con'ibination with means for severing a wire into blanks of predetermined length, of feeding mechanism including a rotary member adapted to advancethe blanks while the same areheld in a verti'cial position. and

(JO-Opfil'ittiIlQ, mecha'nismfor frictionally en-' gaging the blank throughout a substantial portion ofits length, holding the blanks in position while being advanced.

11. In a machine for making hairpins or the like, the combination with meansfor severing a wire into blanks of predetermined length, of feeding mechanism including rotary members comprising disks having peripheral projections adapted to engage and advance the blanks, cooperating mechanism for frictionally engaging a substantial portion ofthe blanks and holding'the blanks in position while being advanced, and means for rotating the blanks about their axes while beingadvanced. V

12. In a machine for making hairpins or the like, the combination with means for feeding a blank including a rotary member, peripheral projections adapted to engage said blank and a second rotary member having a frictional engagement with a substantial surface off-said blank while the same is being fed forward by the first rotary member and means for operating on the blank while frictionally held by the second rotating member. 1

' 13. In a machine for making hairpins or the like, feeding mechanism comprising a rotar feed com risinna aair of rotatinm y e s disks having peripheral members adapted to engage and to advance the blank to a predetermined position and a second feed for automatically removing the blank from 1,410 are the rotary feed and advancing the blank through the bending operation.

14. In a machine for making hairpins or the like, the combination with a plurality of feeds for advancing the blank, of transfer mechanism for transferring the blank from one feed to another comprising a spring actuated member positioned in the path of the blank while in the first feed and adapted to engage'the blank in a vertical position and transfer it to an adjacent member in the second feed.

15. In a machine for making hairpins, a combined feeding and forming mechanism including a series of blocks, and pin members carried by said blocks, rotating disks having projecting members adapted to cooperate with the pin members during rotation.

16. In amachine for making hairpins or the like, a combined feeding and forming mechanism including a series of blocks, and pin members carried by said blocks, rotat ing disks having detachable plates producing projections upon the circumference of said disk, said projections adapted to register with the spaces between the pin members to bend the blank around said pin members.

17. In a machine for making hairpins, the combination with means for severing wire into hairpin blanks of predetermined length, of a movable block having pin members and a rotatable member having co-operating members for forming the blank over said pin members.

18. In a machine for making hairpins or the like, the combination with a belt member, a block carried by said belt, rotating members having detachable peripheral projections thereon positioned in operative relation to said block.

19. In a machine for forming hairpins or the like, forming mechanism for forming the head and legs of the pin including a ro tatable member, and a detachable plate carried by said rotatable member and having projections of predetermined configuration, a block having pin members therein adapted to carry the hairpin blanks and cooperate with the rotatable member in the forming operation.

20. In a machine for forming hairpins or the like, means for feeding forward a wire hairpin blank including a belt member, a plurality of blocks carried by said belt memher, a guide for said blocks, said blocks having pins extending into the guide.

21. In a machine for forming hairpins or the like, the combination with means for severing the blank into predetermined hairpin lengths, of means for positively centering the blank so formed, means for bending the blank, and means for crimping the blank.

22. In a machine for forming hairpins or the like, the combination with means for severing the blank, of means for positively centering the blank so formed, means for bending the blank, means for crimping the blank, and supplementary means for setting the blank in its bent position.

23. 'In a machine for forming hairpins or the like, the combination with severing, feeding and forming mechanism, of a synchronously driven delivery mechanism and means for automatically transferring the formed blank from the severing to the forming mechanism and from the forming mechanism to the delivery mechanism.

24. In a machine for forming hairpins or the like, the combination with severing, combined feeding and forming mechanism, of a delivery mechanism, means for automatically transferring the formed blank from the forming mechanism to the delivery mechanism, including a member having an inclined surface positioned in the path of the formed blank, while on the forming mechanism.

25. The method of forming hairpins or the like, which comprises continuously advancing a stock of wire, severing the stock of wire into predetermined lengths without interfering with the continuous feed of the remainder of the stock, advancing the severed lengths, and automatically rounding the ends of the severed lengths while they are being advanced.

26. The method of forming hairpins or the like, which comprises synchronously advancing a wire member, in a vertical position rotating it about a substantially vertical axis and rounding its ends while being advanced and rotated.

WALTER HERMSDORF. 

